Archives for Care Giving Tips

Preserving Legacy: Helping Your Parents Write Their Life Story

Preserving Legacy: Helping Your Parents Write Their Life Story

May 15, 2019 | No Comments

While no life lasts forever, story can. Preserving legacy is important to individuals, family members, friends, and future generations. Everyone has a life story that is worth telling and recording. When someone is suffering from memory difficulties, the preservation process can be daunting for them if they try it alone. Here are a few tips for people who want to record the life stories of their aging family members. It does not require the writing skills of a novelist. It does not require the imagination of a movie director. It just takes patience, a little planning, and a great deal
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Safe Stretches for Seniors

Safe Stretches for Seniors

April 9, 2019 | No Comments

As people age, it can become increasingly difficult to do things like get up from a chair or get into bed. This is due to a decline in flexibility and muscle strength. A good stretching program is important to increase and maintain flexibility. Stretching will improve posture and the movement in joints. It can also help reduce stress and reduce the risk of injury. Why Should You Stretch? Seniors should try to stretch major muscle groups for at least 10 minutes, at least two days a week. It’s best if stretching is on days where resistance or cardiovascular training exercises
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5 Reasons Why Every Senior Should GET OUT This Spring

5 Reasons Why Every Senior Should GET OUT This Spring

April 9, 2019 | No Comments

While spending time outdoors is good for anyone, it can be especially important for seniors. It has been learned that simply being outdoors provides a surprising variety of physical and emotional health benefits. As the weather gets warmer, finding more opportunities to spend time outdoors is essential. Boost Your Short-Term Memory A study conducted at the University of Michigan looked at the effects of one’s environment on short-term memory. Volunteers were divided into two groups. The first group was asked to take a short walk around an arboretum, while the second group walked down a busy city street. Participants from
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Motivational Tips For Seniors

Motivational Tips For Seniors

March 22, 2019 | No Comments

There is a sense of loss and dependence that comes with aging. As older individuals lose some autonomy, they also lose part of their identity. Humans tend to associate their abilities and skills as part of their overall self-worth and ego. When these capabilities begin to naturally decrease with age, we tend to struggle with the change. Many adults are concerned about the mental health and happiness of their older parents. While health issues are always important, many people also worry about the will and motivation of their elderly loved ones. Here are a few motivational tips for seniors.  
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Getting Family to Help with Aging Parents

Getting Family to Help with Aging Parents

June 28, 2018 | No Comments

The role of a family caregiver is never easy, but it’s especially difficult when they don’t get the support they need from their family members. When one sibling takes on the majority of the caregiving responsibilities, other siblings may not understand the daily challenges they face. This can damage familial relationships, at a time when everyone should be coming together in aid of their aging parents. With a little communication, however, adult siblings can come to a harmonious caregiving arrangement. Time for a Family Meeting When broaching the subject of shared caregiving responsibilities, every sibling needs to be present and
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Fresh Air and Senior Health

Fresh Air and Senior Health

May 17, 2018 | No Comments

The Great Outdoors It’s no secret that we all need to connect with nature. This fact can be biting for seniors, especially ones with low mobility. It’s a very fair statement that we’re all a little healthier when we spend some time outside. Yet, why does this fact always seem to evade us? It’s so easy to get stuck in the rigmarole of the daily whatever that we forget. Well no more! While we’re sure you’ve heard of some of these, we wrote this to serve as a reminder. Here’ some really good reasons why seniors should be spending more
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FMLA: What is it and Who Needs It

FMLA: What is it and Who Needs It

October 16, 2017 | No Comments

Not all that long ago, If you had a serious illness or injury, or if you needed to care for someone in your family, you would have had to make a choice. You could choose between taking care of family member or your health, or you could keep your job. Until the early 1990’s an employer could terminate an employee for medically related circumstances if they needed an extended absence from work. There was no safety net for you to take time off for the treatment of a serious medical condition. There was no guarantee that you would have a
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Medication Management: Top 5 Tips for Seniors

Medication Management: Top 5 Tips for Seniors

June 26, 2017 | 1 Comment

Prescription drugs are a critical lifeline for many seniors and this is not without concerns: 1 in 5 prescription drugs taken by seniors are inappropriate (misprescribed, or over or underprescribed) and are often medications that carry a high risk for adverse drug events. Fifty-five percent of elderly patients are considered “noncompliant” with doctors’ orders, in that they don’t take medications as directed, but there are ways you can prevent deadly accidents from happening as a result. Here are five tips that can make medication management easier. 1. Use a computerized pill organizer Caregivers of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients especially need to be
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When “No” is No Longer an Option

When “No” is No Longer an Option

April 12, 2017 | No Comments

It can be difficult when you have to deal with an elderly parent or loved one who needs some type of assisted or senior living, especially when that loved one is resisting care. What should you do if they are resisting your help or the idea of help from professionals? Here are a few tactics you can use to approach the issue without coming across as being insistent or demanding. 1. Decide on a Conversation Starter Your entire family should select the person who would be the best person to talk to your loved one about the subject of assisted
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How Positive Thinking Can Benefit Your Loved One

How Positive Thinking Can Benefit Your Loved One

January 5, 2017 | No Comments

With modern medicine’s fascination with technology, medicines and expensive exams it is easy to lose sight of the power that the mind has over the body when it comes to health. If you have a loved one suffering from dementia and other debilitating ailments, the importance of positive thinking becomes even greater. But can positive thinking actually allow your loved ones to live longer and healthier? The answer is a resounding yes. Becca Levy, PhD began to study the power of positive thinking on longevity in the 1990s. She used a body of data from 1,100 patients over the age
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